A message from the history on 38th death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
By.Asghar Ali Mubarak
RAWALPINDI: The 38th death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto being observed at Rawalpindi. The 38th death anniversary of former Prime Minister and founder of Pakistan People’s Party Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is being observed at Rawalpindi. Jinnah Park Rawalpindi to pay homage to their great leader.The main ceremony was held at Jinnah Park Rawalpindi. The local chapter of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is all set to observe the 38th death anniversary of their party’s founder and former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto today at Jinnah Park, the site where he was hanged. Local leaders Imran Ashraf , Israr Abbasi,Aamir Fida Paracha,Raja Altaf, Babar Jadoon,Adnan Khawaja, of the Pakistan People’s Party and Shahid Moughal ,Asad Abbasi of the Peoples Lawyers Forum were gather inside the Jinnah park near the district courts Rawalpindi at morning to remember their late leader. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had been executed on April 4, 1979, in the Rawalpindi District Jail during the Ziaul Haq regime. The site was later converted into Jinnah Park. The event was begin with the recitation of the Holy Quran followed by speeches from prominent party leaders who paid tribute to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto . A tribute to the former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
‘’I Asghar Ali Mubarak was living in Mohalla Sultanabad Rawalpindi on 4 April 1979 ‘’I was shockedwhen I read the lead story of the Daily Jung Rawalpindi that’’ Zulfikar Ali Bhutto hanged’’ on a shop namely Afzal keryana store ,’’on that day the mostly news paper were published at 11.30am ‘’, 38 years ago on this day, former Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged by the General Zia-ul-Haq regime for murder at the time, there was a lot of turmoil at the time, people offering themselves to be hung instead of Bhutto, mostly members of my family were PPP supporter and was in tears. My elder brother was in Gujarat and could not come back to Rawalpindi due to strike. Pakistan, April 4, 1979 –I remember that the former Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged before dawn at the Rawalpindi jail, ending a long drama over his fate and opening the prospect of widespread unrest.
The Pakistani radio Rawalpindi in news Bulletins announced that the execution had taken place at 2 a.m. and that Bhutto’s body was handed over to his relatives for burial. Members of the family were informed of the death early in the day by a senior military official. Bhutto, 51, was sentenced to die along with four others for conspiracy to kill a political foe, but the sentence was delayed for agonizing weeks and months as appeal after appeal was filed in the courts and world leaders petitioned Pakistan’s military leader and president, Gen. Zia ul-Haq, to show clemency.Overthrown by the military almost two years ago following charges of election irregularities, Bhutto nevertheless retains a substantial following among the country’s peasantry as a result of his charismatic rule from 1971 to 1977. There are fears that widespread violence could break out following his death. On that days the big question was Should Pakistan be thrown into an intense period of unrest, it would add yet another country in upheaval to a zone that runs from the Arabian Peninsula, through Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan.Despite the reports from official sources and family members that Bhutto had been hanged, the Pakistani government not made a formal announcement of his death.
The daily newspaper Nawaiwqt was published at 11.30 am quoted the prison medical officer as saying, “Bhutto has breathed his last.”
The execution was carried out in a secret military operation and the only people to be told other than the executioners were Bhutto, his wife and daughter. The women have been held under house arrest for several weeks.Bhutto’s wife Ms.Nusrat Bhutto and his daughter Benazir Bhutto were allowed to visit at the jail for three hours on 03rd April 1979 , and diplomatic sources reported that they were informed that it was their last visit before the hanging.Extraordinary precautions were taken in the capital Islamabad and at airports,Following the hangin, Bhutto’s body was flown from Chaklala airbase to Bhutto home village Gari Khuda Bux in southern Sind Province for burial.according to media reports Evidence that the hanging was imminent began to build just after midnight when armed troops surrounded the Rawalpindi jail. At 1:15 a.m., two journalists found watching the jail were arrested and taken to a police station. They were held there until dawn when the troops had dispersed. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s Last Moments before His Execution on 4th April 1979, On 4 April 1979, 38 years ago to the day, former Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged by the General Zia-ul-Haq regime for murder.In his book Bhutto Kay Aakhri 323 Din (The Last 323 Days of Bhutto), Lt Col Rafiuddin, who was deputed inside the jail for over 10 months to keep an eye on him, details the deposed PM’s last moments. Rafiuddin has chillingly described Bhutto’s reaction when his execution order was read out to him, hours before the hanging. Pakistani media quotes from the lieutenant colonel’s account:’’I did not see any sign of panic on Mr. Bhutto’s face while the jail superintendent was reading out the order. Instead, I could see that he was quite calm, relaxed, and had a smile on his face’’.Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s Last words before being hanged. According to Rafiuddin, Bhutto had trouble sleeping that night and couldn’t draw up a will owing to his disturbed state of mind. He even burnt the piece paper on which he had earlier penned down a will. When the jail superintendent later came to his cell, he found him lying motionless on a mattress.Media cites the book to recount the final couple of minutes leading up to the former PM’s execution.All present there stood in silence… When the clock struck four minutes past two in the morning, the executioner whispered something into Bhutto’s ear and pressed the lever. Bhutto’s body fell about five feet; it remained in that position for half an hour. A doctor then checked Bhutto and pronounced him dead.With this, Bhutto’s exceptional and dramatic life came to an abrupt end. He was hanged for the alleged murder of Nawab Mohammad Ahmad Khan, belying expectations that his stature would help him escape the noose.His hanging also cut short his impressive and stormy political career. As PM, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had a successful and turbulent stay in office, during which he laid the foundation of Pakistan’s nuclear programme.
